Box Score 

LANCASTER, Pa. – Franklin & Marshall fell to Haverford 82-66 in Centennial Conference (CC) men's basketball action Wednesday evening. The Diplomats dropped to 2-4, 0-2 CC, while the Fords improved 5-1, 2-0 CC. 

The game was tightly contested from the opening whistle with four ties in the first six minutes of action, before a Jaka Pandza triple put F&M up four, 19-5, with 12:08 on the clock. The Fords put together a 10-4 run and went ahead 25-23 with 8:17 left in the first and increased their lead to six, 36-30, two minutes later. F&M answered with an 8-0 run and a Mike Rice three at 1:59 gave F&M a 38-36 edge. Haverford countered by scoring five unanswered points and took a 41-38 lead into the break. 

Pandza had nine points in the opening half and Solomon Mathis chipped in six off the bench. 

A three from Rice tied the game early in the half, but the Fords took over from there and never trailed. Haverford went on a 10-0 run for a 51-41 lead and increased their lead to 14, 57-43, at 14:27. The Diplomats outscored the Fords 13-5 over the next six minutes to come within six, 62-56, but the Fords answered with an 8-2 spurt to make it 70-58. F&M scored the next four to come within eight, 70-62, but the Fords closed out the game with a 12-4 run over the final five minutes to secure the win. 

Les Thomas ended with a team-high 11 points, Mike Rice ended with 10 and four helpers and Jaka Pandza recorded nine points for F&M. 

The Diplomats return to action on Saturday when F&M travels to Washington for a 3:00 p.m. game.